Creative Studio Manager

Position: Creative Studio Manager 

Reporting to: Head of Creative

Location Base: Hybrid – 2 days per week Topdeck HQ (Chiswick, London), 3 days per week remote

Start date: 1st October 

Here at Global Touring, we’re a travel company specialising in group tours and inspiring people through life-changing travel experiences. Through our brands Topdeck Travel and Back-Roads Touring we are ever developing our product range, driving growth in key sales markets (Australia, New Zealand & North America), innovating product delivery and ensuring we deliver a first-class customer experience. Don’t worry if you can’t find Global Touring when you search online – this is our internal brand; externally we only use our customer-facing brands.

Topdeck and Back-Roads serve very different customers, however our ‘one best way’ approach is consistent and effective in supporting the specific strategy and activity for each brand. At Global Touring, each team member works across both of our brands with equal commitment.

We’re looking for someone to join our team that aligns perfectly with our brand and values... if this sounds like you then keep reading!
 

Overview: 

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced Studio Manager to lead the planning and day-to-day running of the in-house Creative Team. You will oversee campaigns, promotions, and marketing communications targeting both our trade agents and direct customers. Reporting to the Head of Creative, you’ll work closely with the wider marketing teams to ensure the smooth operation of the creative function in a busy and fast-paced environment. Agility and adaptability are key as you’ll frequently juggle deadlines and work around shifting business goals. A crucial aspect of this role is driving processes and efficiencies within the team to ensure optimal performance. 

The Studio Manager will take ownership of managing and communicating the timing schedule of multiple projects and tasks, ensuring work is clearly prioritised and completed on time. This supremely detail-oriented role requires someone who is organised, focused, and well-versed in multi-tasking. You’ll need first-class people skills, the ability to negotiate effectively, and the capability to manage communication up and down the organisation to ensure that information flows seamlessly between all departments. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Lead kick-off meetings, daily stand-ups, and retrospectives for relevant projects, tracking progress, managing stakeholder expectations, and analysing project progression. 

• Allocate resources efficiently and appropriately, ensuring time is allocated appropriately for each task, and work is completed within the set deadlines. 

• Chair project meetings, take minutes, and ensure all actions are recorded, shared, assigned owners, and executed efficiently. 

• Design and coordinate workflows using Jira. 

• Manage Creative Team resource planner, backlog and Kanban board in line with Marketing Activity Planner and other business requirements. 

• Discover opportunities to drive efficiencies of processes and ways of working improvements, implementing actions through a continuous improvement plan. 

• Identify and communicate risks throughout projects, escalating issues as required to maintain project timelines and quality. 

• Work alongside the product to market team to meet market deadlines, ensuring creative responsibilities are fulfilled on time. 

• Manage the end-to-end brochure production process, from receiving the initial brief to creation, print, and delivery to the warehouse. 

• Proof factual content within the Creative Team, when required, to ensure accuracy and adherence to brand standards. 

• Interrogate briefs to ensure they are clear and actionable for the Creative Team, reducing the potential for rework and delays. 

• When required, manage end-to-end project progress for wider business needs, including regular reporting and meetings with global departments to keep all stakeholders informed. 
   

Experience, Requirements and Key Behaviours 

• 3+ years studio or project management experience – preferably working with marketing, digital and creative teams 

• Experienced using project management software (Jira) 

• Enthusiastic with a positive, systematic mindset and the ability to step into the role of good cop bad cop as the situation demands

• High level of emotional intelligence, with the ability to adapt communication styles based on the situation and people involved

• Ability to work on multiple projects and problem solve while remaining calm under pressure 

• Assertive team player, confident in standing your ground to achieve goals 

• Top class communicator (both oral and written) and stakeholder manager 

• Experience leading and motivating a team to successful delivery of tasks and projects 

• Experience in risk identification and resolving issues 

• Understanding of web systems and processes preferable 

• Skilled negotiator – managing expectations up and down the business 

• Excellent attention to detail 

• A team player, keen on collaboration whilst being self-motivated 

• And of course… A passion for all things travel related! 

Hungry for more?
Hit apply, shoot over your resume and cover letter – we'll be in touch! 
 

Global Touring Values

Our values aren’t just words on a page. They’re the backbone; the steering wheel; the soundtrack to how we embrace each day. Like a well baked brownie, every ingredient combines to achieve the rich consistency fueling the soul of Global Touring.

Stay Curious: We are natural born explorers. Our people question old solutions, apply alternative thinking and embrace being challenged in the search for outcomes. We’re excited by the journey on and off the road – expanding our knowledge, adapting to feedback and questioning the status quo. Value ideas over hierarchy. Have the courage to take risks. Don’t let perfection prevent growth. 

Choose Transparency:  We take the right way, not the easy way. We’re straight up even through the toughest conversations; tackling challenges head-on and with integrity. Honour commitments. Communicate with clarity. And build relationships based on mutual respect. Forget hidden agendas, we treat everyone fairly – despite a preference for instant coffee. 

Don’t pass the buck: If we do it, we do it well. We are empowered to make decisions based on data and experience – holding each other accountable along the way. Spare the excuses. Be fearless in the pursuit of results. And take responsibility – even when no one’s looking. There will be bumps in the road; that’s ok. We own our mistakes and learn from the challenges as well as the successes. 

Together we go further: Across oceans and office desks, it’s more than a love for travel that keeps us connected. There are no silos here; we are each other’s toughest critics and loudest supporters – especially around the ping pong table. People with diverse backgrounds, different identities and varied experiences make our company exceptional. We embrace alternate perspectives, recognise each other’s strengths and champion collective genius.